State park trail entry point.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

politics

  • Cayenne Peppers and Such

    I made it out to the garden and all the tomatoes had exploded with the relentless rain. I did pick a variety of peppers, including the cayenne peppers. I will dry and turn them into powder for seasoning. One more check box on the list of gardening things done. These are weird times for our… Read more

  • Vote Yes for a New Jail

    I visited the current Johnson County Jail soon after it opened in 1981. I remember saying to myself, “My God! They made it too small!” The current board of supervisors approved a referendum for the November ballot to build a new jail and sheriff’s office. I support it. Opinions on the current referendum, previously published… Read more

  • Protecting the Midterm Vote

    My first assignments as a poll worker dropped this week, a reminder of how soon election day will be here. Early voting starts October 14 in Iowa. I drew three shifts helping in the lobby at the county administration building, and expect to draw an election day assignment. The county auditor is well-organized to cover… Read more

  • Miller-Meeks Dodges the Real Problem

    In November I will get my seventh opportunity to vote for Mariannette Miller-Meeks for Congress. I will decline, again. The incumbent is not doing enough on important issues of our times. I am thinking particularly of Social Security. She made a splash with her support for Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent’s bill to open… Read more

  • 25 Years Since the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

    I wrote this post on the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. What has changed is then it was Iraq and Afghanistan, now it is Iran. I was scheduled to fly from Moline, Illinois to Philadelphia on Sept. 11, 2001. My flight was cancelled. I returned to the office,… Read more

  • Summer’s End 2026

    At least once each summer I take the long way around the trail. I walk on the road toward Highway 382 and enter the Hoover Nature Trail, which leads south to an intersection with the state park trail. This route take more than twice as long to complete, and the change in scenery is welcome.… Read more

  • Last Days of August

    On Friday, I received a second set of comments on the second part of my autobiography, A Working Life. Two more copies are out to early readers who are close family members, yet I’m ready to move forward with the second big edit. I expect this work to begin as the garden winds down. There… Read more

  • Reduce NDAA Spending

    The following was sent to U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, along with U.S. House Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks… Read more

  • Member of Congress Manufactures Campaign Material

    I used to think I could talk with Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks. That was in 2008 during her first run for Congress. I was on the county board of health and felt that gave me standing to discuss issues with the ophthalmologist. I found her during a break between two parades in Johnson County and asked… Read more

  • Bohannan will Address Social Security Shortfall

    I plan to vote for Christina Bohannan for Iowa’s First District congressional seat because of her position on Social Security. In an Oct. 10, 2025, email, she wrote: “It’s the job of our leaders to ensure every American gets the benefits they worked for.” The challenge is clear. In its June 9 report, the Social… Read more